Worth the Risk
by bellutrixlestrange
Summary: It's been ten years since the war. Ten years since the horrible battle when Voldemort finally fell. Percy Weasley has moved on with his life. Pansy Parkinson is still haunted by her past. Can the two really find love with each other? They're not sure it's worth the risk, but they're certainly going to find out.


**A/N:** Yes, this is a rewrite of my fic "The Most Boring Man She Ever Knew". That fic was going absolutely nowhere and I had lost all inspiration, so I decided to just scrap it and rewrite it. Some things are going to stay the same in this fic, but overall, this is basically a different fic. Now onto the fic!

* * *

Pansy stared at the man in front of her. Or rather, she stared at his arse. It was perfectly round, and she would have very much loved to grab it, with permission from the man of course. Unfortunately, it was attached to one of the most insufferable people in Pansy had ever had the displeasure of meeting. She couldn't imagine why he had been invited to a party at Malfoy Manor, but then again she hardly understood anything Draco did nowadays. It could have easily been Astoria, Draco's wife, who had invited him. She was close friends with the man's sister, after all.

Though she hadn't seen Percy Weasley since he was a Hogwarts student, she remembered his year as Head Boy. That was the year that none of the students could get away with _anything_. He ruled the school with an iron fist and handed out detentions at the drop of a hat. Pansy couldn't imagine how someone so stuffy and stuck up was related to the Weasley twins and Ginevra Potter, but the family resemblance was too strong to deny. The bright red hair and freckled face was a dead giveaway.

As if feeling her eyes on him, Percy turned around to look at her. "If you like looking at it that much, you can always take a picture," he said, smirking.

Pansy narrowed her eyes and glared at him. "I've seen better," she said, and while that was true, most of the better ones that she'd seen had belonged to women; though she could appreciate the female body, she wasn't into girls.

"Have you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow and leaning against a column.

"Yes, I have," Pansy answered. "Not that it's any of your business, of course."

"Oh, of course," he said, a laughing lightly. "Perhaps I'll get to see a better one at some point tonight. I'm sure if you turn around, my wish will be granted."

Pansy gasped in shocked outrage. "You utter and complete prick! What gives you the right to speak to a lady in such a way?"

Percy snorted. "If you're a lady, then I'm a hippogriff. Besides, weren't you the one that was just ogling me? Don't try to play the pure, innocent Pureblood, Miss Parkinson, because we both know it's just an act, and not a very good one at that."

"I may not be a lady, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't show me some respect," she snapped at him. Honestly, where did he get off talking to her like that?

"I'm showing you the same respect that you showed me, sweetheart," he said, smiling disarmingly.

"I am not your sweetheart," Pansy said through clenched teeth. Scratch Percy Weasley being the most boring man she'd ever met; he was the most _infuriating_ man she'd ever met.

"I'm sure that could be changed," Percy said, still smiling that infuriating smile.

"I beg your pardon?" Pansy asked, blinking in shock. She was sure she had misheard him. There was no way he'd said what she thought he'd said.

"I said that it could be changed," he said. Pansy stared at him silently, still processing what he'd said. He rolled his eyes. "And here I thought you were one of the smart ones. I'm asking you to go on a date with me."

 _Go on a date with me._ What the _fuck_? Not two minutes ago they'd been arguing and now he was asking her out? "I'm sorry, we were just at each other's throats and now you expect me to go out on a date with you? That doesn't seem the least bit odd to you?"

Percy shrugged. "Not so much expecting as hoping," he said. "Oh, and that? That was banter. If I had been at your throat, you would have known, trust me. I bite. So, what do you say?"

She flushed slightly at his wording. "I'll have to think about it before I give you an answer, of course. Could I owl you?"

He sighed dramatically, reminding Pansy slightly of George Weasley. "If you must. Just let me know at some point." He turned slightly as someone called his name from across the room. "Well, it seems as though I must take my leave. Time to go mingle with all of the High Society bores. It was absolutely lovely speaking to you, Miss Parkinson." He tossed the last bit over his shoulder as he walked away, not giving her the chance to respond.

* * *

Pansy was pacing back and forth in the living room of her flat, stopping every few seconds to throw a desperate look at her best friend. Daphne Greengrass was, for the most part, ignoring Pansy, too absorbed in her book to really care about the other woman's drama. Pansy was still confused as to why Percy Weasley, of all people, would have asked her out. They barely knew each other. The only interaction they'd had before their little "banter" at Malfoy Manor had been him giving her a detention back when she was thirteen, despite the fact that, somehow, he and Daphne were close friends.

Pansy stopped pacing and threw herself onto the couch beside Daphne. "Okay, what the hell am supposed to do? Do I say no? Do I say yes?" She glanced over at her friend, who was still focused on her book. "Hey, pay attention to me," she said, grabbing a pillow and hitting Daphne with it.

Daphne looked up from her book and glared at Pansy. "I'm trying to read," she said.

"And I'm having a crisis!" Pansy cried. "Now what do I do?"

"Just say yes," Daphne said, rolling her eyes. "What's the worst that could happen, you fall in love and have little redheaded children?"

"What if it goes badly?" Pansy asked. "What if he picks his nose?"

"I highly doubt the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister goes around picking his nose, Pansy." Daphne rolled her eyes again. "Just go owl him and tell him you'll go out with him. You know you want to."

They were interrupted by the sound of pecking on the window. "Who the hell is sending an owl at this time of night? It's almost three in the morning." Pansy asked, standing up to let the owl in. The bird flew in and landed on the back of the couch, then stuck its leg out for Daphne to take the letter from it. As soon as the letter was detached, it flew back out the window.

Daphne looked at the name on the envelope. "It's for you," she said, sticking it out towards Pansy and returning to her book.

 _Dear Miss Parkinson,_

 _Here's a little something to help you decide._

 _Yours,_

 _Percy_ _Weasley_

Pansy looked back and forth between the note and the picture that accompanied it. It was a picture of Percy Weasley. More specifically, it was a picture of Percy Weasley's back. And his arse. He was clothed, of course, but that didn't make the picture any less scandalous. Pansy watched as Picture-Percy glanced over his shoulder with a look that was so seductive it should have been illegal, then blew her a kiss. She wondered briefly who he had gotten to take the picture. _Probably one of his brothers,_ she thought.

"It's from Percy," she said, shoving the letter and picture in front of Daphne's book. Daphne took them both, shooting another glare at Pansy for interrupting her reading yet again.

"Okay, who the fuck did he get to take this picture?" Daphne asked after a moment.

"That's what I want to know," Pansy said, once again plopping onto the couch beside Daphne.

"Well, one thing's for sure," Daphne said as she handed the picture and letter back to Pansy. "You sure know how to pick them."

"I didn't pick him, he picked me," Pansy said, staring transfixed at the picture that she had just been handed. "And after seeing this I'm kind of glad he did." It really was a good picture. Whoever had taken it definitely had skill with a camera. They managed to capture his angles just right, and the lighting was perfect.

"So are you going to write him and tell him that you'll go out with him or what?" Daphne asked.

"Or what," Pansy said, dragging her eyes away from the picture and smirking at Daphne. "Go grab your camera and help me find a cute dress. If he wants to play games, he should know who he's dealing with."

"But my book," Daphne whined as Pansy dragged her off the couch.

"There's no time for reading, Daphne," Pansy said. "I have a Weasley to seduce."

* * *

Percy Weasley's day started out fairly normal, save for the envelope that was awaiting him when he woke up. Inside he found a Muggle picture of Pansy Parkinson lying on a couch in a pose that was reminiscent of Rose when Jack drew her like one of his French girls, though she was wearing a long dress rather than posing nude. Her lips were a deep red and the look in her half-lidded eyes could only be described with one word: lust. The note that had come with the paper only had one word written on it. _Yes_.

Percy was glad that the Minister had granted him the day off, knowing that he would have been out late as he was forced to socialize with the elite as they flooded Malfoy Manor. It meant that now he could drop by Pansy's flat. He knew that it was rude to stop by unannounced, so he quickly penned a letter to Daphne Greengrass and sent Hermes off with it. There was no societal rule that stated _who_ he had to announce himself to, after all.

When an appropriate amount of time had passed, he apparated to Pansy and Daphne's shared flat. He knocked on the door and faintly heard Daphne shouting for Pansy to answer it. The door swung open, and as Pansy took sight of him, her mouth dropped open in shock.

"Weasley," she said. "What are you doing here? You can't just show up unannounced."

Percy smiled. "I'm not unannounced. I sent a letter to Miss Greengrass letting her know that I would be dropping by. It's hardly my fault she failed to notify you." That was a lie, of course. He had specifically asked Daphne not to tell Pansy that he was visiting. It was much more fun to surprise her.

"That still doesn't tell me why you're here," Pansy said, folding her arms across her chest.

"You were so pretty in the picture that you sent me that I had to come see the real thing," Percy said with complete honesty. He hadn't noticed her much during Hogwarts and after because she was so much younger than him, but now she was twenty-eight, a woman by anyone's standards. Gone was the bratty, pug-faced teenager that he had barely known in the past. In her place was a beautiful, confident woman. He had seen her at many of the Malfoy and Greengrass functions, and while he didn't know her very well, he could tell by her interactions with others that, despite her frosty exterior, she was very kind-hearted. "I also came to ask if you would like to go out for lunch. I know a lovely little Italian restaurant in Muggle London that has the most amazing salads."

Pansy narrowed her eyes at him. "You show up at my flat without warning me first, at eleven in the morning, and then you expect me to go out to lunch with you?"

Before Percy had the chance to respond, Daphne popped her head around the corner and said, "She'll be ready to go in fifteen minutes. Come inside while she gets herself dolled up."

"Wha-, Daphne," Pansy sputtered, staring at her best friend. "I can answer myself, you know."

"Then what's your answer?" Percy asked.

She sighed. "I'll be ready in fifteen minutes. Come on in." Percy smiled and followed her into the flat. The living room wasn't what he expected from two Slytherins. It had a warm atmosphere and felt very lived in. The only other time he'd been here was when he and his brothers had been roped into helping Daphne move in two years prior when it still had the cold, empty feel of a house with no residents. Pansy hadn't moved into the flat until three months later, so he hadn't had any interaction with her during the move.

Daphne led Percy to the couch as Pansy left the room to get dressed. "So, how have you been?" Daphne asked.

"As well as I can be," Percy said. "Work is stressful, though. Kingsley put me in charge of planning the gala for Victory Day, and Narcissa Malfoy is trying to take over. I'm happy to let her, of course, but I still have to make sure everything is perfect. It's been ten years, after all." It was hard to believe it had been that long. Ten years since Voldemort was defeated. Ten Years since the wards that had held fast around Hogwarts for a millennium had finally fallen. Ten years since he watched his younger brother die.

"So much has happened since then," Daphne said, smiling softly. "If someone had told me ten years ago that one day I'd be dating Hermione Granger, I would have laughed in their face."

Percy grinned. "I know what you mean. Who knew I'd be looking forward to a date with Slytherin's Ice Princess? It's certainly been an interesting few years. I can't say that I wouldn't change a thing, because frankly there are some things that I wish had never happened, but for the most part the last few years have treated me well."

"I definitely agree with you there," Daphne said, nodding. "If I could go back and stop myself from dating Theo, I definitely would."

Percy laughed, remembering the disaster that was her short romance with the other Slytherin. Daphne and Theo Nott had dated for all of one month before everything had blown up in their faces. The two had gotten into an argument that was now legendary amongst their friends and family.

They hadn't spoken for nearly three years after that, though two good things had come of it. If they hadn't dated, neither of them would be with their current partners. Percy still didn't know how they had managed to avoid each other so easily though, since less than a month after the breakup, Theo had started dating Charlie and Daphne had gotten with Hermione. Three years of Weasley family dinners and they'd managed to completely avoid each other at all of them. They still refused to tell anyone what had actually brought about the argument, but both still had scars from the curses and hexes they had thrown at each other, even five years later.

Just then, Pansy exited her bedroom. "I'm ready," she said, walking over to the couch. Percy looked her up and down. She was wearing a pale blue blouse and a black skirt that suited her figure excellently and had her hair up in a simple ponytail. In Percy's opinion, she was stunning. "Are we going?" she asked, a bit of impatience coloring her voice.

"Oh, um, right," Percy said, stuttering slightly. Daphne gave him a knowing look and he shot her a glare in return. "Let's go." He held out his arm to her, which she gladly took, and then he escorted her out the door and apparated them to Diagon Alley, just outside the Leaky Cauldron. "We'll have to walk a short way, sorry."

"Walking is fine," Pansy said as they entered the pub and wove through its crowded space. A few of the inhabitants moved to try to talk to Percy, recognizing him as the Minister's Senior Undersecretary, but he ignored them for the most part, only giving them courteous nods as he walked past. He had no interest in rubbing elbows with the general public, especially when he was on a date.

They finally made it onto the street in Muggle London, and Percy lead Pansy to the left. "It's about a five-minute walk from here," he said. The rest of their walk was spent in a comfortable silence.

The restaurant was small, with only ten tables in the entire place, but it was comfortable. Italian music was playing quietly from the speakers on the ceiling. "We seat ourselves here," Percy said, guiding Pansy to one of the empty tables. "One of the servers will come to get our drink order in a bit."

"I do know how Muggle restaurants work, Weasley," Pansy said as they sat down. "I may have been raised in the Wizarding world, but that doesn't mean I'm blind to the Muggle world. Like I could spend any amount of time with Hermione Granger and not know about the Muggle world."

"I always forget that you and Hermione are friends," Percy said.

Pansy snorted in a very unlady-like manner. "Friends is pushing it a bit, I'd say. We socialize because she's dating Daphne, but we're not really close."

Their conversation was briefly interrupted when a waitress came to get their drink and food orders, and again when their food was brought to them, but they were soon back to chatting.

"So you want to be a Potions Mistress?" Percy asked, picking at his salad.

Pansy smiled. "Yes, I just have to find a Master to apprentice with."

"Have you asked Slughorn? I'm sure he'd be happy to have you," Percy said. He knew that Pansy had gotten some of the highest recorded scores ever recorded on both her Potions OWL and NEWT. Any Master should be overjoyed to have such a student.

Pansy raised an eyebrow at him. "Would you want to apprentice at Hogwarts? Surrounded by all of those students?" Pansy asked. She shook her head. "No, I'm going to find another Master to apprentice with. Preferably one that didn't go to school with Albus Dumbledore."

"Well, good luck with that," Percy said. "There aren't very many Potions Masters left in Great Britain that are willing to take on apprentices."

"Really, I had no idea," Pansy said, sarcasm coloring her voice.

"I'm just saying, Slughorn may be your best shot at an apprenticeship," Percy said, raising his hands defensively when Pansy tried to interrupt him. "I know you don't want to apprentice with him, and you don't want to deal with the students, but I honestly think you would enjoy it."

"It's not just the students," Pansy said, eyes downcast. "It's the memories. I haven't been back there since the War. The Carrows made sure I'd never want to step foot on the grounds again."

Percy remained silent. He could understand not wanting to go back. He was still haunted by the memories of the Final Battle, and that had just been one night. Pansy had been stuck in that hell for eight months; he couldn't imagine the horrors that stalked her memories, but he had heard enough of what happened during the Carrows' reign of terror from Ginny that he didn't really want to imagine. Still, he asked, "Just how bad was it?"

Pansy looked up from her food, pain clear in her eyes. "They made us use the Cruciatus on first years. That's how bad it was." Percy didn't question her further, and the rest of their meal was spent in silence.

Percy, attempting to be a gentleman, made sure to walk Pansy all the way back to her flat. "Pansy," Percy called out before she had closed the door, shocking himself and her with the use of her given name. She stopped and looked at him questioningly. "I know the last bit of lunch didn't go that well," Pansy snorted at that. "But I would like to go out with you again, even if it is only once more."

Pansy's lips curved up into a small smile. "I would like that as well _,_ " she said. "How does seven on Friday night sound?"

"Seven on Friday sounds lovely," Percy said, returning her smile. "I'll see you then." He turned away as she finally closed the door, grinning to himself. He was glad that he had asked her out, and he was even more glad that she had actually accepted. He was taking a chance on love, and he just hoped that it, that she, would be worth the risk. Whether everything worked out or not, this was sure to be a fun.


End file.
